June 2021 Book Releases

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Check out these new June 2021 Book Releases.

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BOOK REVIEW: Junk by Melvin Burgess

Junk

Author: Melvin Burgess

Genre: YA Contempporary Fiction / Coming of Age / Romance
Publication Date: 3rd April 2014 (First Published 1996)

Book Description:

This 20th Anniversary edition of the classic novel comes with an introduction from former children’s laureate Malorie Blackman and bonus content following its controversial history, from its writing to when it won both the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.

It was a love story. Me, Gemma and junk. I thought it was going to last forever.

Tar loves Gemma, but Gemma doesn't want to be tied down. She wants to fly. But no one can fly forever. One day, finally, you have to come down. Melvin Burgess’ most ambitious and complex novel is a vivid depiction of a group of teenagers in the grip of addiction. Told from multiple viewpoints, Junk is a powerful, unflinching novel about heroin. Once you take a hit, you will never be the same again.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

MY REVIEW

Tar and Gemma are two teenagers from different backgrounds but both have the same urge to break free of their confined reality. Tar wants to escape from his abusive father while Gemma wants to escape her overly strict and controlling parents. When they decide to run away from home, they find that life on the streets comes with another set of demons they have to fight hard to evade. Battling homelessness and drugs might just be as bad or even worse than the life they so desperately wanted to escape. Survival has a new meaning in the new world they find themselves trapped in.

Love definitely comes in many different shapes and forms. The best thing about this novel was the characterisation and the authenticity of their portrayal. The plot was simple and straightforward, but there were times it dragged and got a little tedious, but I was so invested in the characters that I was encouraged to keep reading. Tar was my favourite character. His transformation from start to finish was intriguing. You couldn't help but love this character. Even though he was being physically abused by his father, he still had so much hope and still managed to see the beauty in the world. After running away from home and being taken in by an older group, that light inside him slowly started to fade once the addiction started to kick in. It was sad to experience, but quite an eye-opener and very moving. It took me a little longer to gravitate towards Gemma, I must admit. I didn't engage with her well throughout the first half of the book, but throughout the second half of the book, she went through her own transformation and became a character you're able to sympathise with more, which made her more likeable.

I wasn't too much a fan of the writing style, but it didn't bother me enough to make me put the book down. A lot of the times, it felt as if my outlook on the story and especially the characters were being overshadowed by the narrative voice, which somewhat hindered my desire to form my own impression of the characters and their stories. Having said that, I appreciated the fact that, even though I wasn't fully navigating my own interpretation, the portrayal I was presented with was so realistic that I could comprehend the difficulty and struggles the characters faced without even having no experience of the condition they lived in and the situation they found themselves trapped in. It goes to show that you don't have to experience something in order for it to feel real.

A very moving story about the struggles of heroine addiction and the many facets of love.

VERDICT:

Rating: 4 Star

Source: Netgalley

Book Blitz & Giveaway - His Billion-Dollar Takeover Temptation by Emmy Grayson

His Billion-Dollar Takeover Temptation

(The Infamous Cabrera Brothers, #1)

Author: Emmy Grayson

Published by: Harlequin Presents

Publication Date: May 25th, 2021

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Book Description:

In debut author Emmy Grayson’s sexy workplace romance, will the Spanish CEO be able to resist giving in to desire?

He will claim her company

But can he claim her, too?

Everleigh Bradford won’t simply hand over control of the family vineyard she expected to inherit. She’s lost too much already. If she must confront internationally renowned new owner Adrian Cabrera, she will! Even if she has to fight her red-hot response to the brooding Spaniard.

Bringing Everleigh home to Grenada to prove he’ll protect her heritage is essential to their working relationship—but it’s dangerous. Innocent Everleigh is intoxicating. And she deserves everything that Adrian’s past and his iron self-control won’t let him give her. No matter how tempting it is…

From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ iBooks ¦ Kobo ¦ Google Play

Book Blitz & Giveaway - The Devil I Don’t Know by L.K. Shaw

The Devil I Don’t Know

(Brooklyn Kings #1)

Author: L.K. Shaw

Publication Date: May 25th, 2021

Genre: Adult Mafia Romance

Book Description:

Jacob

Loyalty

My father is dying, and I’ve been called back to Brooklyn to take my place as the head of the Italian syndicate. After a seven year absence, my first test of loyalty is to marry the granddaughter of the Irish mob’s leader. I may not want a wife, but I’ll kill anyone who tries to harm her.

I only hope she doesn’t expect love in our marriage. I can’t–won’t–love her. Not ever. I don’t have it in me.

Brenna

Duty

That’s all my life has been. Then, my grandfather signs a marriage contract, and I become a pawn in an alliance between the Irish and the Italians. Once again I’m bound by duty.

I’ve always been invisible–the person who fades into the background–except soon my new husband begins to see me.

He’s a Brooklyn king, but will our enemies destroy my chance to become his queen?

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ iBooks ¦ Kobo ¦ Google Play

BOOK REVIEW: The Goblin Pitcher by Paul Lonardo

The Goblin Pitcher

Author: Paul Lonardo

Genre: MG Fantasy / Adventure / Sports
Publication Date: 11 April 2021

Book Description:

The one thing eleven-year-old Jake Lupo loves more than anything else is baseball. However, despite his father being a professional pitcher, Jake's fear of failing has kept him from competing against children his own age. When his father, who has recovered from a serious arm injury, is invited to pitch for an independent team, Jake and his parents move to Pine Barrows, a far flung forested mountain outpost. Jake is excited about his father's chance at a comeback, but he soon learns that he is not the only one in Pine Barrows who loves baseball. Goblins love to play baseball, too, and Pine Barrows happens to be chock full of them. Then Jake discovers that the region is occupied by two factions of warring goblins.

Seeking to take control of the goblin kingdom, the leader of the evil goblins kidnaps Jake's mother and bans baseball, a game which itself is a natural source of power for the goblins.

It turns out that Jake has a secret kinship with the legendary beings, and he is the only one who can save them, their kingdom and his mother. However, Jake must believe in himself and play a winner-take-all game against the best goblin players in Pine Barrows.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

MY REVIEW

Jake Lupo is used to moving around due to his father being a professional pitcher. After recovering from an injury, his father is offered an opportunity to pitch for an independent team, which could be the kick he needs to get his career back on track, so the family pack up and move to Pine Barrows. But Jake has a secret he's been keeping from his family: he hears voices calling to him. And the move to Pine Barrows has made matters worse for Jake as the voices are no longer just voices anymore. Now Jake is starting to see things other people can't see. Who are these green creatures lurking around his new home, and what do they want with Jake? Was the move to Pine Barrows an opportunity or a trap?

Since moving to Pine Barrows, Jake finds himself facing off with a reality he couldn't he imagine let alone be apart of. Jake certainly learns a lot about his connection to the magical realm surrounding his family home in Pine Barrows, and the truth sends him on a time sensitive mission of finding a powerful object called the Sacred Amulet in order to save his family from the clutches of a powerful dark leader known as the Overlord, who wishes to possess the amulet so he can become the supreme ruler of his kingdom. The amulet can cause a lot of problems in the wrong hands, but with his family's life on the line, Jake has to make the right decisions or risk losing everything dear to him.

The Goblin Pitcher was certainly an enjoyable read. The ambience of the story put me on the mind of the Spiderwick Chronicles. I found it a little overwritten at times, more telling than showing, which kept pulling me in and out of the story and stopped me from being fully immersed in the story. Despite this, I liked the world building. The author brought certain scenes to life, which was rather magical. I had expected a little more baseball action given Jake's love for the game, but it was talked about enough to satiate one's hunger for the game. Apart from Jake, the other character I found very engaging was Lorcan. In terms of being trustworthy, he was a questionable character, but he was very likeable. The doubt I had about his character made me want to learn more about him.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable story, and I love the book cover, which exudes a youthful energy, just like the story. I definitely recommend this book for all, especially middle-schoolers.

VERDICT:

Rating: 4 Star

Source: Author

BOOK REVIEW: Everybody Poops by Justine Avery

Everybody Poops

Author: Justine Avery

Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publication Date: 15 November 2019

Book Description:

Taking the taboo out of POO!

Everybody poops—it’s true! It’s time to blow the door right off the bathroom, and shine a light on what happens on the loo.

For the little ones just discovering the contents of their diapers and nappies, the bigger ones needing reassurance that their most mysterious bodily function is as natural as can be, and the biggest ones who still hold a fondness for toilet humor, Everybody Poops! is piled high with bold and audacious illustrations and the truth about who’s doing the pooing: every body is doing it!

Sure to incite giggling fits and all-ages laughter, Everybody Poops! exposes the least talked about fact we all have in common the world over and among all walks of life, benefiting the youngest of us by opening the discussion, promoting comfort with their bodies, and helping them feel included. Poo pride!

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

MY REVIEW

The title of the book is the content readers are introduced to. No one wants to discuss pooping, but everyone does it. Children who are potty training will find comfort in knowing that pooping is a usual occurrence and that thought might help them with this period of their life. The book doesn't incite anything beyond this. I found some of the imagery inappropriate and uncomfortable, but the book overall does what it says on the tin: it showcases that everyone poops.

VERDICT:

Rating: 3 Star

Source: Own copy

Book Blitz & Giveaway - The Weight of the Sky by Caroline Schley

The Weight of the Sky

Author: Caroline Schley

Publication Date: May 20th, 2021

Genre: YA Contemporary

Book Description:

For every important decision in her life, fifteen-year-old Chris Miller relies on silence rather than courage. In her rough Bridgeport neighborhood, Chris bites her tongue when her best friend gets sent to juvenile detention for a crime she didn’t commit. As a scholarship kid at St. Catherine’s Prep, Chris acquiesces to ‘drinkstagram’ at tony sleepover parties. At home with her overbearing mother, she swallows her questions about her father’s identity. Chris understands that quiet insecurity isn’t the most valiant approach to life, but it gets her through the day unscathed. Until she’s sexually assaulted.

In the aftermath, Chris’s tenuous happiness crumbles alongside her grades, yet she can’t find the courage to report the assault. At a crossroads, Chris is forced to volunteer at an afterschool program for low-income families to maintain her scholarship. Catapulted back to the very neighborhood she struggled to escape, Chris finds her family thrust into the crosshairs of a gang war. When one of the students from her afterschool program is put at risk, Chris discovers just how much damage her silence can cause. Ultimately, she must decide if she will remain quiet as others call the shots and remain a victim or if she can forge the strength to stand up, speak the truth and call herself a survivor.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Book Blitz & Giveaway - The Devil You Know by J.L. Beck & C. Hallman

The Devil You Know

(The Diavolo Crime Family, #2)

Author: J.L. Beck & C. Hallman

Publication Date: May 21st, 2021

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance / Dark Romance

Book Description:

Nic is so much more than The Devil.

The night of the auction changes everything.

I thought I knew who he was, and what was going to happen next.

I had no idea how wrong I was…

***This is a continuation of Devil You Hate and can not be read as a standalone. This book has a HEA***

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Cover Reveal - You Are Cordially Invited by Jay Hogan

You Are Cordially Invited

Author: Jay Hogan

Publication Date: June 17th, 2021

Genre: Adult Contemporary,Romance

Book Description:

There’s a wedding in the air at Auckland Med, but Reuben wonders if they’ll survive the stress long enough to say, ‘I do’. Cam is directing the entire operation with his combat eyeliner in place, whilst the wedding party is doing its best to ignore him. The pressure is mounting and the cracks are beginning to show.

There’s a bachelor party to survive.

The paparazzi to outrun.

A wedding outfit to confirm.

A rugby game to win.

A jerk of a father to cope with.

A stunning opportunity to consider.

A relationship to untangle.

And a shocking event that could derail everything.

With the universe conspiring against them, Reuben and Cam will have to summon every scrap of belief they have in each other to make it to their vows.

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

About the Author

I​ am a New Zealand author writing in m/m romance, and romantic suspense. I have traveled extensively and lived in the US, Canada, France, Australia and South Korea. In a past life I have been an Intensive Care Nurse, Counselor, and a Nursing Lecturer.

I'm a cat aficionado especially of Maine Coons, and an avid dog lover (but don’t tell the cat). I love to cook, pretty damn good, love to sing, pretty damn average, and as for loving full-time writing, absolutely… depending of course on the day, the word count, the deadline, how obliging my characters are, the ambient temperature in the Western Sahara, whether Jupiter is rising, the size of the ozone hole over New Zealand and how much coffee I've had.

Welcome to my world.

Author Links:

Website

Cover Reveal Organised by:

Cover Reveal - Midsummer Night's Dream by Anya Summers

Midsummer Night’s Dream

(Dungeon Singles Night #3)

Author: Anya Summers

Publication Date: June 29th, 2021

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Book Description:

Sylvie fell for the enigmatic Dom after a single night in his arms.

And she fell hard. Never before had she craved a man with her entire heart and soul. So when Fate unexpectedly tore them apart, she didn’t want to let him go.

But life didn’t ask what she wanted.

Sylvie rocketed into Dean Ryan’s world like a force of nature. Body and soul, his heart beat for her. He couldn’t stop the craving in his blood to claim her, dominate her, give her everything she needed. Yet when he least expected it, she disappeared, shattering his hopes and dreams for a future with her in his arms, his life… his bed.

Dean’s wretched heart has not healed, yet when Sylvie walks back through the doors of Eternal Eros, he will do anything to uncover her secrets and make her his.

She shattered his heart, but he knows her sweet surrender is the only thing that can save his soul.

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ Books2Read

About the Author

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Anya grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Anya never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in History.

Anya is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance under the name Maggie Mae Gallagher. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the Midwest with her two furry felines.

Author Links:

Website ¦ Goodreads ¦ Facebook ¦ Twitter ¦ Instagram ¦ Newsletter ¦ Amazon ¦ Bookbub

Cover Reveal Organised by:

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Catnapped by R.J. Blain

Catnapped

(Magical Romantic Comedies #14)

Author: R.J. Blain

Publication Date: May 11th, 2021

Genre: Adult Comedy / Urban Fantasy

Book Description:

When someone steals Diana’s cat, a former lab animal rescued from death’s door, she calls on one of the most dangerous beings in the universe for help. Cutting a deal with the devil isn’t the smartest move, but there’s no way in hell she’ll abandon Mr. Flooferson the Magnificent to his fate.

Teaming up with the son of a demon, an angel, and one hell of a woman might push Diana to the limits of her courage and sanity. Unless she wants to sell her soul to the devil, she must cope with her new partner, make the most of a bad situation, and find out who stole her cat and why.

What she learns will forever change humanity–and lead to a battle destined to forever change the heavens and the devil’s many hells.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ Kobo ¦ iBooks

BOOK REVIEW: The Above-Average Adventures of Nicholas Herriman by Ken Sheldon

The Above-Average Adventures of Nicholas Herriman

Author: Ken Sheldon

Genre: MG / YA Fantasy / Action / Adventure / Humour
Publication Date: 9 October 2016

Book Description:

Nicholas Herriman is failing geography. He's a washout in gym class and the worst member of the chess team. In fact, he stands a good chance of being voted the Most Average Kid to Ever Attend Peabody School, until he stumbles on a trunk full of clothes that give him super powers. Unfortunately, most of the clothes are broken or came without instructions. Where did the trunk come from? Can Nick unravel its secrets without killing himself or getting creamed by his arch-enemy Harley Davison first? And who is the mysterious stranger following Nick around?

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

MY REVIEW

Nicholas Herriman doesn't have much luck when it comes to being great at anything. Even his best friend, Tony, is the funniest guy in school. For once, Nick would like to be the best at something instead of being just an average kid. Nick's hunger for greatnest comes in the form of a trunk he finds while visiting a Swap Shop one Thursday afternoon. What he finds inside the trunk changes his ordinary life into one with pure action, adventure and mystery. Nick discovers the contents of the trunk hold magical qualities and just might be what he needs to make him go from Most Average to Most Awesome kid to ever have graced Peabody School.

I knew right from the opening chapter that this book was going to be a fun ride. The author introduced us to a plethora of interesting characters with different personalities. Nick was a likeable protagonist who gets himself into quite the pickle with the objects he knew nothing about. For the fact that Nick had no idea about the power each object possessed, it was fun to discover his super powers at the same time he did. The author did well in making you feel what Nick is feeling: excitement, fear, sorrow, confusion etc. As a reader, you're able to get lost in the mind of a twelve-year-old kid who has to learn the difference between his wants and his needs and has to decide whether he will use his new-found abilities to help himself or to help others.

Although I liked the other characters, especially Tony, I found their characterisation lacking somewhat in depth. It also took a little long for the villain to be established and when it was finally revealed, the story suddenly felt somewhat rushed.

Overall, this was a funny and clever story. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I recommend it to all children, particularly middle-schoolers.

VERDICT:

Rating: 4 Star

Source: Author

BOOK REVIEW: Lizzie's Dream Journal by Charlie King

Lizzie's Dream Journal

Author: Charlie King

Genre: MG Fantasy / Adventure
Publication Date: 12 December 2020

Book Description:

After the death of her father, Lizzie Barnes’ life takes an interesting turn when her mum brings home a journal.

Lizzie decides to use the journal to write short stories involving her beloved teddy bear Rodford and his arch-enemy Dr Ofdor, a villainous grizzly bear.

She soon notices it is no ordinary journal as people around her begin to have dreams based around her stories.

When Lizzie begins to experience the dreams for herself, she finds that as the creator, the rules of the journal can work against her.

Lizzie, with the help of Rodford and a rat named Ridgeley, must explore the different worlds while facing the dangers she created, including Dr Ofdor, to free herself from the workings of the journal.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

MY REVIEW

Lizzie's father has just passed away, and she refuses to let anyone at her school know that he has died, including her best friend, Sophie. To help Lizzie cope with the passing of her father, her mother gifts her a journal for her to write down her feelings, but Lizzie isn't interested in sharing her thoughts about her father, so she instead decides to create stories. What starts off as a fun and exciting new hobby, however, soon start to invade Lizzie's life as her stories start to come to life, threatening to endanger not only her but also the people around her.

This was a fun, adventurous and magical story with a lot of emotional depth and delivery. The topics at hand, though heartbreaking at times, was handled with care. It will be hard for those who can relate to Lizzie's situation as it may bring up emotions and feelings that might have been or is still difficult to address, but I think a story like this can be therapeutic for those struggling with loss, especially young children who have lost a parent. I would have liked some of the characters to have been a little more fleshed out as they were rather one dimensional and some were significant characters in Lizzie's life, which should have made a little more memorable.

Loved the ending. Very moving and satisfying. Overall, it was a really enjoyable story with a very likeable protagonist who carried the story well.

VERDICT:

Rating: 4 Star

Source: Author